Chapter Fifty Eight
“Why not, we are reminiscing aren’t we?” He swiftly slashed her hand with his pocket knife. Maria screamed rolling away, but she rolled back with a louder scream when she felt the pressure of her weight on her broken ribs, “The only difference is, you’ll be the one in flames and I’ll be the one holding the match.”
“If you are going to kill me, just do it!” Maria begged. She wasn’t up to going through hours of torture before he finally killed her.
“I am going to kill you, but I want to have some fun first.” he grabbed her hair and pulled her face closer to his, “I’m just having a hard time deciding whether to make love to you before or after I beat you, cut you up and burn you.” he brushed his lips against hers, “Help me decide, hmm?”
The door flew open with a bang, startling Ricky. He let go of Maria and she fell back on the floor with a thud. She didn’t know who was at the door, but all she wished for was the unexpected visitor was here to either kill her or Ricky.
“Who the hell are you?” Ricky yelled, standing up. His answer came silent, hard and surprising. Maria saw Ricky sag to the floor, his face frozen in complete shock. Maria smiled as a black fog filled her eyes, she’d also gotten her answer, the stranger was here to kill him. She winced when she felt her body get dragged up, the stranger whispering urgently in her ear as he hurriedly walked away carrying her in his arms. The corridor light was the last thing she seen before the black fog completely consumed her, numbing all her senses and the pain in her body.
****
Dave paced around the room with a third glass of brandy in his hand. There was no way he could stay sober listening and picturing all the degradation Maria had been through in Ricky’s hands. It was amazing she was still sane and alive, most women he knew would have killed themselves.
“This is my entire fault.” Miguel cried into his palms.
Edna hugged his shoulders to her and rocked him gently, “No it’s not.” she swallowed a sob before she went on, “You couldn’t have seen something like this coming. I certainly didn’t.”
“He might not have seen it coming, but he knew it was happening!” Dave yelled, “So yes, it is his fault!”
“Dave stop, can’t you see he’s suffering?” Edna kissed Miguel’s shoulder and placed her head on it.
“Why should I hold back? You didn’t blink once when you told her how she destroyed your life!” Dave spat out, turning his anger to Edna. She cringed back and hid her face in Miguel’s shoulder.
“That’s enough.” Miguel whispered, pulling his head up. His eyes were blood shot and wet, he looked like he had aged twenty years in the last hour, “Where is she now?”
Dave flushed down the brandy, “I’ll find out.” he poured himself some more then pulled out his phone and dialled.
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough to drink?” Edna asked, “You need to be sober when she comes back.”
“Sober? I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stay sober after what you’ve just told me.” He sipped at his glass, “It’s amazing she didn’t seek comfort in drugs or alcohol.” He raised his phone to his ear and waited for Johnson to pick up.
“She had Michael to help her get through each day.”
“Tell me this, when Michael was conceived…” he let the question hang as he lifted his glass to his lips. It was sad enough that Ricky was Michael’s father, it would only be sadder if he existed out of rape and not love.
“At that time, the devil hadn’t shown his horns yet.” Edna smiled, “Maria was truly happy and in love, like I was when I found out I was pregnant with her.” she turned to Miguel and pulled his face closer for a kiss.
“You just climbed five steps above Ricky in my scale of bastards.” Dave said with a chuckle, amused by the dagger stares his soon to be parents-in-law gave him, “Don’t worry, you are just a step below my dad.”
“Where is my daughter Dave?” Miguel asked, biting down on his temper. He was doing a fine job beating himself up all on his own and he didn’t need Dave’s help.
Dave lifted his finger up when he heard Johnson’s voice on the line, “Hey, where’s Maria?”
“Dave.” Johnson stuttered. He turned around to look at Maria, if it wasn’t for her shallow struggled breathing he would have thought she was already dead, “We have a problem.”
“What, did she make you again?” Dave took another sip. He’d have to look for a more competent shadow for Maria, her suspicious nature made her radar impossible for Johnson and his men to keep up with her.
“No, it’s not that.” he pulled up in front of the emergency entrance. He got out of the car and ran inside, “I need some help!” he yelled in the busy room before he ran back out, two nurses running behind him.
Dave put his glass down and stepped closer to the couple, his chest already tightening, “Johnson what’s going on?” his voice was unsteady and full of fear.
“Ricky.” he said, running behind Maria’s gurney, “He found her.”
Dave grabbed at his neck. He felt like he was suffocating, like someone had put a bag over his head, “Johnson…”
“She’s alive, but in bad shape. We are at the Memorial Hospital, you need to get here.” Johnson watched as they cut up her pink t-shirt and exposed her black and blue torso and abdomen. One of the doctor’s lingered on her side, he pressed down making Maria wake up with a deafening scream, blood seeping out of her mouth. He held her down and yelled something before they pushed her through another door.
This was bad, far worse than he thought, and if he knew Dave well enough, Johnson was sure he was going to be in a room across from hers after Dave was through with him, “Dave, you have to get down here, now!”
Dave dropped the phone and stared at Miguel and Edna. He couldn’t find his voice to speak, it was stuck under the millions of sobs in his throat. Edna stood up and moved to him. She blinked back her tears then placed her palms on Dave’s wet face and turned him to her.
“You don’t have to say anything, just nod or blink, I’ll understand.” She spoke slowly to him like she was speaking to a child. She saw the dead look on his face and it could only mean one thing, her daughter was in trouble and her odds were set on Ricky being that trouble.
Miguel stood up and moved behind her, “Edna what’s wrong?” his voice full of urgency.
“Dave.” Edna started calmly, “Is she alive?”
“What!” Miguel spat out.
Edna ignored him and stayed focused on Dave, “Honey, nod if she’s alive.”
Dave nodded, “She’s at the Memorial Hospital.” he struggled out.
She let out a breath of relief then turned to Miguel, “You and Dave, go I’ll stay with the kids.”
“I’m going to kill him!” Miguel said between clenched teeth as he rushed out the house, Dave followed him, slowly slipping out of his daze with each step, all he felt now was anger and hate. Ricky had crossed the line for the last time.